Keyless lock



Oct. 10, 1933. R 1,929,598

KEYLESS LOCK I Filed Aug. 12, 1931. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Uttomqq E. M.MILLER Oct. 10, 1933.

KEYLESS LOCK Filed Aug. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TEE.

JYvuv Mb'z flow/7R4 M. MILLER- Patented Oct. 10, 1933 1,929,59s"-'KEYLES'S' Look .Edward M. Miller, Kent, Ohio, assigno r to The J. B.Miller K'eyless Lock Co., Kent, Ohio, 3.

corporation Application August-12, 1931. Serial No.55am1 6 Claims. (01.70-112) positions, which, under a giv'en sequence of oper- 10 atingconditions, willgactuate an arm which in turn operates a catch member torelease the shackle of the lock. l

gFromuthe nature of the constructon of the mechanism, this arm isloosely pivoted to the pivoted end of thelock shackle, with the resultthat if the lock be inverted,'the .arm will drop into the position whichit should take in operating the aforesaid catch so that it is possiblewhen in such invertedpositionbysimply turning the disc inthe samedirectiontohave one of the lugs upon the disc come in contact with thepin usually' carried on the arm so as to depress the arm and release thecatchwithout utilizing any combination. It, theretoravbecomes frequentlyeasy for an unauthorized person knowing the-trick of operating the lockin this manner to open the lock and gain access to whatever isintendedto be protected thereby. v I I v v Furthermore, in standard lockconstructions of this character, it is sometimes easy for unauthorizedindividuals having practice in the opening of locks of this character tobe'able through their sense of touch to work out the combination of such7 a lock.

ciently trained toascertain the character of clicks in the usual lockconstruction when the combination of the lock is reached,iand thusbe'able to open the lock.. 40 Again', it is sometimes customary forindividuals to set the standard look by first operating the combinationand releasing the shackle thereby, nd as the shackle is released byturning the operating disc in'the' proper direction, usually backwards,it is possible to subsequently release the shackle by simply turning thedisc back a comparatively short distance to its unlocking posi tion, sothat the lock may be operated without go-' 7 ing through the entirecycle of combinations, thus 0 rendering the look easy of operation by anunauthorized individual knowing this tendency to leave the lock in a setposition. p V

It is also easy'in'rnany of the forms of the standard lock constructionsfor an unauthorized person to open the look by operating; the arm- Also,it is possible by one having an ear suffi through theinsertion of a wireorother instrument, and thereby pressing the arm against the lock catchto release the shackle. r

The present invention deals with a keyless lock construction'whichavoids the aforesaid disad- F vantages in .the standard construction oflocks of this character, which maintain a simple construction.

The invention will be, more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in 5 which'z- Figure 1 is a view through thecasing of an improved lock made .in accordance with this invention,showing details of themechanism.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating an 7c improved shackle asemployed on the locks made in accordance with this invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view ofsuch a shackle.

' Figure 4115 a perspective view of an improved disc used in locksformed in accordance with this 7.5; invention.

1 Figure 5 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing the interiorconstruction of a still somewhat different form of lock.

Figure 6 is an outside view showing in'elevaso in this invention; and IFigure 8 shows in elevation, the lock of Figure 8 looking on the outsideof the casing and showing the numbered dial employed for indicating thecombination of this form of lock.

Figure-9 is a partialview of the lock casing and the shackle.illustrating the relation between the lock casing and the shoulder onthe shackle.

It is known that in combination padlocks the construction is such, thatthe shackle 6 of the lock'is pivoted to the casing 1 atone end of theshackle. as at land is provided. at the other end with a projection 8for interengaging with a latch member 9 positioned within the casing ofthe lock and pivoted thereto as at 10 and which is maintained inproperposition by the pressure of .a suitably arranged spring 11, whichnormally maintains an arm formed on the latch in engagement with theprojection 8 on the free end of the shackle.

Release of the latch member is accomplished by suitable manipulationsof. a disc 2 rotatably mounted within" the casing and operable fromoutside of the casing. ."This'disc is provided with peripheral notchesat spaced points along the disc, andis provided on its interior surfacewith a plurality of lugs 4, through the proper combi- 0 nation of whichthe lock may be opened in a manner known in the art.

The members 4 are diiferently shaped and are arranged in differentpositions relatively to the periphery of the disc 2 so that throughproper manipulation of this disc with the members, a pin 15 projectingfrom an arm 12, which is pivoted to the casing at 13, will be engaged topress the pin .and the end 14 of the arm 12 outwardly against the latch9 to depress the latch outof engagement with the shackle 6 so as torelease the shackle.

To avoid the possibility-of unauthorized opening of the look by thevarious tricks, previously referred to, which may be successfullyresorted to in the standard lock construction, the construction ofFigure 1 is provided. This construction simply consists in providing thedisc 2 with a projecting flange 16, so that the pin 15 of the arm 12will always be inside of the flange 16, and thereforeyheld away from the:catch 9 until the proper combination has be'enreached, when it willdropout through the opening 17 between the flange and one of the members 4to thereby release the shackle in the aforesaid manner, the

pin 15 then bearing against the outside of the flange 16. The provisionof this flange around the periphery of the disc 2 will prevent theopening o'f the lock in the aforesaid :manner.

It has already been pointed out that in locks of the previous standardconstruction, it has been possible to operate the arm 12 by inserting awire or some similar member through the shackle apertures in thehousing, but this is prevented in the-presentinstance by providing thelatch end of the shackle with an upstanding shoulder portion or rib 18,which will effectively prevent access to thelatch 9 or arm12 by anysuchmeans, and also by providing the pivoted end of the shackle with ashoulder 19, also an upstanding shoulder, all possibility of access tothe arm 12 from this position will be avoided.

It will be clearly seen from the figures that shoulders 18 and 19 arehigher than the areas 7 cm of the United-States,is:

of the 'shackle adjacent them.

Thus the present invention has been further designed to rendersubstantially totally inaccessible the interior mechanism of a lock ofthis type without necessitating the destruction of the lock.

In order toovercome the discovery of the combination of the lock throughthe sense of touch, the disc 2, is provided with a knurled surface'dge20 against which thespring 21 is adapted to ride. This provision ofthe knurled surface of theedge prevents an individualfrom feeling thefriction between the extensions 4 and pin 15,

' which friction might indicate to a person with a sufficiently delicatetouch the position of the arm 12 and thus enabling him to open the lock.

'InFigure 5 there is representeda construction which will'prevent thelock from being opened withoutusing the full combination. In thisconstruction, the disc 2 is provided with a bifurcated member 41) andhas also the flange 16 of the construction previously described, therebeing positioned in the "casing adjacent the latch end of the shackle 6an arm 22 under pressure of spring 23, the arm 22 being pressed normallyby the spring 23 against the catch end, 8 of the shackle E6. This arm 22has an inwardly projecting por registry with the pin 15 in the arm 12.

2 in a backward direction because of the interengagement of the member24 with the bifurcated member ib on the disc, thus locking the said discagainst clockwise rotation.

In order to'lock the shackle 6, therefore, the disc 2 ,must be moved ina counter clockwise direction, which will result in the arm 12 assumingthe interior position relatively to the flange 16, asso'on as an openingin this flange comes into 1 When this arm drops down in the lowerposition shown YinFigure 7, of course, the full combination must beoperated in order to reopen the look.

In Figure .6 the exterior of the lock is shown in elevation with theoperating handle or knob 25 provided with an upstanding lug 26 servingas operations, in connection with the arrow 26a.

If it is desired to omit the audible clicks usually present in thestandard combination lock construction the construction in Figure 7 maybe had, wherein the notches are omitted so that the spring 21 ridescontinuously withoutinterruption along the outer rim of the disc .2. Inthis connection to guide the combination operations,

there is provided anumbered dial 27, as there is no audible click inthis instance, and since the .stop member is omitted in these improvedconan indicator for the start of the combination structions, it will beseen that there is rendered,

a lock-in which .the possibility of 'itsbeing opened by an unauthorizedperson is reduced to an absolute minimum.

It will be apparent tha't various details in the,

specifically illustrated and designed .forms'of Ithe.

inventionmay be changed without departing from the spirit of thisinvention, and 'thatsuch changes will become obvious to one skilled inthis art.

It will, therefore, be iunderstoodtha't it 'isintendedand desired toembrace Within the scope 1. A lock comprising the combination with acasing, having the usual Shacklalatch, and actuating arm .therefoigof arotative disc within the casing having aplurality of combination membersthereon, the said disc being provided with anupstanding .flangeextending substantially around the discbutspaced sufliciently from the.periphery thereof to prevent engagement of the actuating arm withthelatch except through proper 'operation of the combination members on thedisc.

2. A lock comprising the combination with a casing havingv the usualshackleflatch and'ac'tuating arm therefor, of arotative disc within thecasing having a plurality of combination members thereon, means on thedisc for preventing engagement of the actuating-arm with the latchexcept through proper operation 'of the combination members 'on the discand a depressibleinterlocking member adapted to engage one "of thecombination members on the disc aniito interlock therewith uponrelease-of the shackle to prevent further operation of the direc'tion; I

'3. A lock comprising the combination with a disc in but one casinghaving 'the 'usual'shackle, latch and -actuexcept through properoperation ofthe combination members on the disc, and an inter-lockingmember adapted to engage the disc and to interlock therewith uponrelease of the shackle to pre vent further operation of the disc in butone direction, the said member being held in depressed position by theshackle While the shackle is locked. 1

4. A lock comprising the combination with a casing having the usualshackle, latch, and actuating arm therefor, of a rotative disc withinthe casing having a plurality of combination members thereon, one of thesaid members serving as a stop member and an interlocking member adaptedto'engage the said stop member on the disc upon release of the shackleto prevent further operation of the disc in but one direction.

5. A look comprising the combination with a casing having the usualshackle, latch and actuating arm therefor, of a rotative disc within thecasing having a plurality of combination members thereon, one of thesaid members serving as a stop member, an upstanding peripheral flangeon the disc for preventing engagement of the actuating arm with thelatch except through proper operation of the combination members on thedisc and an interlocking member adapted to engage the said stop memberon the disc upon release of the shackle to prevent further operation ofthe disc in but one direction which operation of the disc will cause thesaid actuating arm to-drop behind. the said peripheral flange therebypreventing reopening of the lock except through the operation of thecomplete combination.

6. A look comprising a casing having the usual shackle, latch andactuating arm therefor, the

said shackle being provided with raised shoulders I to prevent access tothe latch and operating arm from outside of the casing, the saidshoulders being on the interior of the casing when the shackle is inlooking position, the said shoulders blocking introduction of anyunlocking instrumentality through the casing to the latch.

EDWARD M. MILLER.

